Hunting wild animals, and especially deer, is an art requiring the proper mix of intelligence, patience, endurance and the right equipment. Because deer rely heavily on their highly developed sense of smell to alert them to a multitude of factors, such as danger, food, the presence of other animals, it is necessary for the hunter to blend into the environment, without alerting the deer to his presence. It is also very helpful to provide some means to attract the animal to the hunter's vicinity.
With respect to deer, and especially the male of the species or the buck, a buck lure is often used to tempt the buck. Buck lures have application not only for deer hunters, but also for photographers and other wildlife enthusiasts.
Generally, animal scents are liquids sold in small bottles. The hunter disperses the scent in the selected hunting area. The scent is generously applied to an elevated scent pad disposed in an artificial scrape surrounding an artificial rub, that preferably is approximately 24 inches above ground, as well as on the artificial rub. Alternatively, a "scent bomb" is placed on the ground or no higher than 24 inches off the ground. A "scent bomb" is made by pouring the scent into a 35 mm film canister filled with an elongated strip of clean cotton. The film canister is capped tightly to tightly seal the scent for transport to the hunting area. At the hunting sight canisters are placed at selected positions upwind of the stand, the cap is removed and, with a stick or other elongated object, a portion of the scent-soaked strip of cotton is removed from the canister and draped along the side of the container. At the end of a day's hunt the scent-soaked cotton is pushed back into the storage canister, again using a stick or the like, and the container is recapped.
Several problems arise from the above method of dispersing a game scent. Filling the canister with scent and draping the strip of cotton cloth over the side is messy and inconvenient. Many of the scents have an odor that is pungent to humans and difficult to remove from skin and clothing; therefore inordinate care in handling is required. Also, the cotton strips dry out quickly and can freeze in cold weather.
A number of innovations have been developed relating to the problem of dispersing animal scent at a specific location. The following U.S. patents are representative of some of those innovations.
Christenson, II in U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,940 discloses a buck lure that includes a deer tarsal gland and a fluid in which the predominant ingredient is deer urine. Other ingredients include essence of deer interdigital gland, essence of deer femoral gland and a preservative.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,274 Speed describes a game luring scent diffusing device made up of two containers with an interconnecting wick. The unit is suspended from a tree branch and scent fluid flow from one container, along the wick to the other container, where excess scent liquid is stored. A single container for scent liquid with a pull-out absorptive wick is disclosed by Eason in U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,314.
A deer scent dispenser that hangs from a tree, including a reservoir with a wick to disperse the scent, is disclosed by Jarvis in U.S. Pat. No. 5,307,584.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,327,667 Fore discloses an absorbent pad with brittle container of scent fluid attached. The device is secured to a hunter's boot or clothing and the container ruptured to disperse the scent.
Cox, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,369,903, describes a deer lure employing urine from domestic goats, as well as using the goat urine in a "scent bomb".
A device that warms a liquid lure to disperse the scent in cold temperature conditions is disclosed by Porter in U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,271.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,036 Butz shows an animal scent dispensing pistol that fires scent sticks of animal scent.
Baker et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,521, discloses a container with scent cartridges that a hunter may suspend from a branch to disperse scent at a hunting site.
A scent-releasing pole for attracting deer is disclosed by Fore in U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,665. The hollow pole contains several tapers impregnated with deer scent that are burned to release the scent to the air at a hunting site.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,565,111 Newman describes a method of processing big game scent that includes filtration, heating or a combination of both to remove contaminants and pathogenic bacteria from liquid scent without destroying or denaturing the aromatic attractants.
Blaha, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,165, describes a hunting scent holder with an adsorbent pad for scents that seals for storage and opens for use in the field.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,672,342 Bell discloses an animal scent attractant and cover scent kit made from urine collected from a single animal and packaged for storage prior to use.
Bruey, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,990,514, describes an insecticide bait that contains some Knox Brand Gelatin, plus numerous other components. Inazuka et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,824 discloses an insect attracting composition that contains gelatin plus numerous other components. Gelatin as one component for insect bait is disclosed by Hennart et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,205,066 and by Nesbitt et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,759.
Thus, there exists an unmet need for a deer attractant material that produces a potent scent yet can be used repeatedly over time and transported easily to remote locations.